Looking to whack out something fancy for dinner this week? Why not try a chicken ballotine?
Sure, anything French sounds a little intimidating, but chef Mandisa Mfenyana promises that a chicken ballotine is one of those restaurant-style dishes that is crazy simple to make.
Cold weather calls for some comfort, so why not try out Mfenyana’s chicken ballotine recipe?
ALSO READ: Chef Mandisa Mfenyana adds love to every scoop
Chicken ballotine
INGREDIENTS
2 large chicken breasts
5 mushrooms
2 handfuls baby spinach
½ onion
1 tsp garlic, finely chopped
A pinch of chilli flakes
Smoked Spanish paprika
2 tbsp grated cheese, mozzarella, or feta
Bacon, cut into bits
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
½ tsp thyme
½ tsp oregano
½ Italian herbs
½ tsp garlic flakes
ALSO READ: Chef Mandisa Mfenyana adds love to every scoop
METHOD
For mushroom stuffing:
- Sauté sliced mushrooms until golden brown. Add bacon and medium chopped onion.
- Once fragrant and browned, add dried herbs, dried garlic, and chilli flakes.
- Stir in fresh garlic and sauté for one minute.
- Transfer mixture into a bowl and cool for a minute.
- Add fresh baby spinach and mozzarella and mix.
- Make sure to season mixture according to taste and set aside to move onto your chicken.
For ballotine:
- Put a large pan of water on to boil.
- Cut along the length of the chicken breast, almost slicing in half, and open like a book. Sandwich between two sheets of cling wrap. Bash out the chicken with the back of a saucepan until thin. Remove cling wrap.
- Spread a little of the mushroom stuffing onto the chicken in a thin layer. Roll up the chicken into a sausage shape and wrap in cling film tightly. Repeat with the other chicken breast.
- Poach the chicken ballotines in the pan of water for 20 minutes until cooked through, making sure the water isn’t quite boiling, otherwise the chicken will become tough.
- Unwrap the chicken from the cling wrap and fry in a hot pan with butter until coloured all over.
- Slice the chicken and serve on a bed of vegetables. Enjoy!
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